The Truth is out there

     One of my favorite shows of all time would start with these words, “The truth is out there.” Week after week I would watch to enjoy the pursuit of Mulder and Foxe. It was a wild and exciting ride. The problem was the, “truth” that they found was not truth at all.

      It was the pursuit for the truth that always intrigued me the most. Like King Arthur’s quest for the grail, the pursuit is the thing. The pursuit of truth though can be a tricky thing. It still amazes me how Pilate, would ask the question, “What is truth?”  Truth was standing right in front of him and he did not even know it. The blindness that covered the eyes of Pilate is still alive and well today.

     No absolutes. Everything is relative. Truth has become the fleeting rainbow that we will never obtain. This is the chanting of the priest of darkness that rule our day. The sad part is, we are seeing a whole generation falling into this philosophical quicksand. What is truth?

     In the simplest of terms the embodiment of truth is Jesus Himself.  In one of Jesus most famous quotes He would say, “I am the way, the TRUTH and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by me.”  No great shocker for those of us who are followers of the Lamb. Yet, this is the most drastic of statements to a lost and dying world. They refuse not only to grasp it but to even hear it.

     Two harsh statements then become true if Jesus is the very embodiment of truth. The first is that as believers are we able to defend this truth? There really are times in which the unsaved world wants to know, why do we believe what we believe. It is not enough for us to say, “Well, I just believe it.” No we must be able to defend it and not with just glib and pointless statements. This is why Paul wrote “Be prepared to give an answer for the hope that is within you.”

     We must accept the fact that as individuals we do not have all the answers. Yet, we are not to use that as an excuse to remain as ignorant little children, let loose in the playground of life without direction. Am I reading the Word of God daily?  Am I asking questions as I go through this precious book?

     As defenders for the truth we must be ready. Read and above all things READ WELL. When reading books that deal about our Lord, think and ask questions constantly. He has given us the Spirit of God who wants to lead us into truth. He has also given us godly men who can help us on the way. An incredible tool for defending the truth is written by one of my former youth. His name is Shea and he has a great website called, “Got Questions.org.”

     The second implication of Jesus being the very embodiment of truth is found in the words of all people, Jack Nicholson. In one of the most quoted lines in all of movie history, Jack states, “You can’t handle the truth.” Let me point out two thoughts concerning this issue.

1.         Some people have so hardened their hearts to truth they simply will not believe. They will not even allow for the possibility of Jesus being who He said He was. He was just a good man who had spoken some truths but not all are to be taken as absolutes. In their hardened state they refuse to believe and instead they will believe a lie. Like Pharaoh of old they harden their hearts to the point in which they can no longer see.

2.         The majority of those who refuse to see that Jesus is the embodiment of truth do so because it would mean there would be one with authority over them. One with whom they would have to bow their knee towards.  They cannot handle the idea that they are sinners in need of a Savior. The light of the world has stepped into their darkness.  Like rats with our sins, will scatter back into our dark holes when the lights are turned on. The majority love darkness more than they do the light.

The unsaved world can’t handle the truth. Yet, it is their only hope. The truth that is only found in Jesus must be proclaimed. We all were once children of darkness but light has come into the world. Let us as believers stand as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse world. Let us shine forth the truth that Jesus is the answer for the world today. Let us who are believers pursue the truth at all cost.

Dr. Brownback and Joseph

     I will always look back at my Bible College years as a time of discipleship in my life. Those years still mean the world to me. Mr. Smith, had been a pastor in a town where I would later minister at years later. He was so practical in his approach to the ministry that to this day I am still applying principles he taught. Mr. Glasser, taught me more about the Spirit filled life than any man I have ever known. My greatest joy was seeing how he also lived it and still lives it today.

     Then there was Dr. Brownback. Well educated, disciplined, philosophical and a godly example. When looking at the two of us in the same room, there would be no doubt in anyone’s mind that we are two different people. I remember his prayers, advice and wisdom through the years for not only me but for my family. One time after my heart was broken over a girl he took me to the side. He not only prayed for me but just sat there and listened. Here he is a college president who was beyond busy, but he took time out of his schedule to listen to me. I also remember a time when he saw me on his sofa in Tulsa. I believe I was reading from his son’s Far Side book. He sat down by me and within five minutes we were both rolling and laughing over what we had read.

     Today, my heart was broken over some news that we had received. You know what I mean, those times when your world like Rich Mullins said, “Doesn’t make any sense at all.” I began to despair when I remembered one of my classes from the book of Genesis that Dr. Brownback had taught. He was doing a quick overview of the life of Joseph.

     Dr. Brownback went up to the chalk board and drew a line with several peaks and valleys. “Class, you want a picture of Joseph’s life? Well here it is.” Dr. Brownback said. That one little line came back to haunt me today. He also brought up this is the norm for the Christian life. Yet, Joseph remained a constant steady line through it all.

     What was Dr. Brownback saying? Well if you take a look at Joseph’s life in the book of Genesis, I think you will understand. I would like to just kind of give you the big picture about this amazing man’s journey with his God.

1.       Gen. 37:1-3 Loved and exalted by his Father but by Gen. 37:4-36 he is sold into slavery by his own brothers. (The peak and the valley.)

2.       In Gen. 39:1-20 even though Joseph is sold into slavery the Lord was with Joseph. He becomes successful in the house of Potiphar and oversees his household. Right when things are looking up for Joseph he is falsely accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife. Potiphar enraged throws him into prison where the king’s prisoners are confined. He is left to be forgotten and to rot away far from home. (The peak and the valley.)

3.       Gen. 39:21-40:23 In prison we are told that the Lord was with Joseph and he would be put in charge of the prisoners by the keeper. While Joseph was overseeing these men, he noticed that two of the men seemed downcast. Joseph finds out that these men were troubled by some dreams that they had. I love how Joseph takes no credit for his ability to interpret the dreams but says, “Do not interpretations belong to God?” He hears the dreams and then correctly tells them what they mean. (The peak: His ability to interpret the dream)  All that he asks is that they will remember him. One of the men is put to death, while the other is once again exalted to be the chief cupbearer to the Pharaoh.  The kicker to it all is that the cupbearer does not remember Joseph but forgets him for another two years. (The valley.)

4.       Gen. 41 Pharaoh is having troubles in falling to sleep. He is having terrible nightmares about seven healthy cows eaten by seven ugly and thin ones. Seven plumb ears of grain were also swallowed up by seven blighted thin ears. He wants to know what it all means. The cupbearer remembers Joseph and Pharaoh has Joseph brought before him. Once again like he did earlier Joseph states, “It is not in me, God will give a favorable answer to Pharaoh.” All the glory belongs to Jesus would have been Joseph’s words today. He then reveals what it all meant. Even Pharaoh gets it,  this man was surrounded by God. Note what he says, “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” Pharaoh would make Joseph only second in power to him in all of Egypt.

When Joseph would name his second son, he would call him Ephraim. He called him this because, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” His first son was called Manasseh because, “God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house.” Yet by the end of the book all of Joseph’s family would be restored to him. He forgave them and brought them out of famine.

Joseph did not try to sugar coat it all. He knew that his older brother’s motives were not pure. Like Jesus though, he would forgive their trespassers and bring them into his arms. This is why he could later on state, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”

     You know it truly is about perspective and sometimes our life doesn’t make any sense at all. Yet, when we are, “shaking like a leaf.” as Rich Mullins stated. We can also cry out, “So hold me Jesus.” Well what do you mean by that? Here is the beauty of Joseph’s life in the midst of all his trials Joseph knew some important things.  Look at these verses….

1.       Genesis 39:2 The Lord was with Joseph and he became a successful man.

2.       Genesis 39:21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love.

3.       Genesis 39:23 The                Lord was with him.

       Joseph never lost sight that God was with him. He knew that the times and situations were hard and extremely uncomfortable. Yet, Joseph did not lose sight of who was in control. Even in the darkest of hours and times God will mean it for good. Today, I might not understand why or even ask when will it ever end? I might get discouraged, but these two things I know, the Lord is with me in His steadfast love and that God will mean it all for my good.

     Dr. Brownback, thank you for that line that you drew for our class so many years ago. I will forever be grateful.

Wait a second!! The skies of Wyoming look like the skies of anywhere else. INCREDIBLE.

DAVID

  Sitting here and unable to sleep. I have been praying and reading through the night hours. I had finished my Bible readings when my hand fell upon one of my favorite books, “The Life and Diary of David Brainerd.” It was the first Christian biography that I had read as a new believer. The impact of David’s life still resonates within my heart to this day. In a day that is sadly lacking for true role models here is one of the Lord’s finest. I would like to share with you why he has always been one of mine.

      Many have stated how that David had suffered greatly from melancholy or what some would call depression. He himself in the opening pages of his diary makes note of this fact as well.  Yet, David also had a keen awareness of sin in his life. Like Luther, before his salvation, he would try to appease God by involving himself in religious duties. It was to no avail, as he could not merit the grace of God, through empty works.

      One author, describes those who seek to please God through their works, will only find insanity. David, would come to this point, in which he struggled with, “the divine strictness of the Law,” and that, “faith alone was the condition of salvation.” God’s grace would be poured out upon David’s life and the salvation that he so deeply craved and needed would burst forth like an ocean’s wave.

     David would still battle with sin in his life. He would constantly bring up his sorrow over battles that he had lost. As believers we are forgiven. We are cleansed by His blood. Our position before Christ is safe and secure because of His finished work. Yet, do we still weep over our sin? Do we feel grief when we offend others or our God? Have we become calloused to our sinful desires? This is one part of David’s life that we can all learn lessons from.

     Total abandonment to the will of God, is another one of the things that impresses me the most about David. He was willing to do whatever the Lord would have him to do with his life.  Through the grace of God he lived the words of the verse, “take up your cross and follow me.” His was a life of self-denial.

     One must think of the time in which David served the Lord. He would set out to reach a group of the Delaware Indians.  Reaching out, to such a. “lowly group,” as some people would have called them, was not a popular thing to do.  David saw the need and lovingly reached out. Are we willing to reach out to all of mankind?

     The word comfort, was not a part of David’s vocabulary. He was willing to literally stand in the rain. Miles upon miles he would travel upon horseback. Through the cold winters he would sleep in the snow. He would become so sick with consumption that he would spit up blood. The coughing became nightmarish in his life. He would actually towards the end of his short life, be held up by men on either side of him, so that, he could finish his sermons. He was consumed with the need of the souls of men.

     Where David speaks to me the most is his intense love for the Savior.  Every page of his diary is fixed upon his relationship with the Lord. This was the driving force in His life. The glory of God must reign supreme. He was constantly aware of the presence of God and lived in light of it. His prayer life was forever upon his lips and what a sweet communion it was.

     David, like one of my other heroes Jim Elliot, would only be here for a short while. Like Elliot, there were some who would say, “What a waste.” In God’s eyes though I believe they are the true heroes of the faith. Elliot put it best when he said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.”

The Word became flesh for fallen man

So vast, so deep, you know I’ll never understand,

 The mysteries, the wonders of the works of your hands,

  These same hands now in the form of a babe,

    Holding on to a mother’s breast where His head lay,

     The Word became flesh for fallen man.

No royal announcement, your glory laid down,

 Born far from a Palace, golden hay for a crown,

  Lowly shepherds, would be the first to hear,

   The humblest of hearts that you would call near,

     The Word became flesh for fallen man.

From the heights of heaven, now hid in a cave,

In the midst of the darkness, that you came to save,

  Salvation has come, let the heavens now ring,

   Emmanuel , it is only to you that we will sing,

    For the Word has become flesh for fallen man.

Hannah's Head, Hannah the dazed one and Haddy.

Hannah 2 minutes later

  

Barnes and Noble Coffee Drinking

     Sitting here at Barnes and Noble and having a cup of coffee. I love being surrounded by people and just watching them and how they react towards each other. Conversations, questions and gazing looks. An older couple who are sitting with each other just a few feet away are finishing each others sentences. A little girl with a Husker football in her hand and a smile on her face as she drinks, no drops her iced latte on the floor. Mommy is shouted out for and a sweet lady behind the counter fixes her a new one to take its place. It must be Christmas time.

    Surrounded by books and the smell of coffee in the air. What a beautiful world He has given us to enjoy. You know its the sanguine in me as I love watching people. I still stand in awe as I look at the unique creation that He has made and above all just the idea of people. We were made to communicate, to long for one another, to love and be loved. Why? We were created in His image.

     He created us to have fellowship with Him. He longs to have a relationship with us. The Divine one wants to hear our voices. This fact alone should shake us to our knees. We should be crying out as the angels, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come."

     The question though, is do I really want to be with Him? Do I long to hear His voice? Do I long to know Him? I think often for many the answer is simply no. Though I am surrounded by all of these people in the coffee shop none of them know me. There will be some who will smile at me or maybe even say a passing hello. Know me though, or want to, not many will  go out of their way to develop a relationship with me. Some might, but as a whole it will only be surface.

     What is wild to me is that this is how many will treat our Savior. The one who bled, died and rose again for their sins is forgotten. Many do not even make Him part of the conversation. They ignore or pretend to ignore Him, while all of creations shouts out His name.

     I look all around me, and often I just want to shout out at the top of my lungs. "Wake up from your slumber." They are blind. The walking dead. I know this to be true as I was once like them. I think of loved ones, friends, co-workers and neighbors. How my heart breaks.

     Even more, what must it be like to be the creator of the universe and to be ignored by your creation ? He who has His eyes ever opened is never looked upon. He who has His arms spread wide, is passed by.
How His heart must break when His creation refuses to bow down and call Him Lord.

     I guess what I am trying to get at is, I want the Lord to open my eyes to see how desperately in need His creation is of Him. We have a message of hope that we can share. A message of peace that we can give our fellow man. The babe in the manger is not just a babe but the king of kings. As they go along blindly in the day we can proclaim to them that Light has come. He is here and wants to be known.

Somewhere between Wyoming and Lincoln. Bringing Hannah home for Thanksgiving.

Hannah, Our Hannah and Julie

 

Hymns

 One of the things that I love to do may sound strange to some of you. You see, I love getting in a car late at night and turning on my music. When we did evangelistic work, Julie would crash on our long trips. I would do one of two things. The first was to enjoy the silence for a while and spend time in prayer. The second was to simply put on the tunes. I was thinking about that today when I was at work counting parts for inventory.   

      When I was a kid, one of my favorite memories was that of being in the car as a family. My Father, even before he was saved, loved to sing some of the old hymns. All four of us would sing.  It truly was terrible. My Father’s singing could only be stated as that of a joyful noise. The wild part is, I miss it. I still love to hear my brother’s voice and his ability to harmonize and make even the worst of singers look good.

     Other than the Word of God, music can encourage me quicker than anything that I know. I am still amazed at some of the old hymns and their influence in my life.  Daily, I am reminded of the grace of God that has been shown. Almost every day, two songs that remind of the grace of God are constantly played within my mind.  My favorite line in all of the great hymns is found in the song,” The Comforter has come”. I am brought to the point of tears when I hear these words, “That I a child of Hell, should in His image shine, The Comforter has come.”

     The other is that of a former slave trader, who found the grace of God could even be bestowed upon him. I understand his gratefulness to God when he would write, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.   I once was lost but now I am found, was blind but now I see.” There is no way that I could ever repay Him for His grace that has been shown. I do not, to this day, understand it nor will I ever.

     I am reminded of an older gentleman, by the name of George, who I met earlier in my ministry. He had lost the dearest thing in the world to him only a couple of years earlier, when his wife had died. His health was not all that great and you could tell he was surrounded by the sounds of silence in his home. We talked much about his love for his wife and about seeing her once again. He then looked at me and began to sing these words, “My Jesus I love thee, I know thou art mine.” We both sat in the silence and sang that song together as the sun slowly began to set over the hills of Arkansas.

     When I was in Bible College, I had received some pretty heavy news. I walked past all the students and sat out on a rock. I sat out there for about 20 minutes and headed back to the chapel where the students now gathered for services.  When I opened up those chapel doors, I heard these words being sung, “My sin not in part but the whole, it is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, O my Soul.   And Lord, haste the day, when my faith shall be sight the clouds be rolled back as a scroll, the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend, even so it is well with my soul, It is well, It is well, with my soul.” This is still my favorite Hymn of all.

     Here of late when have been looking for the Lord’s guidance as we seek His will in what He would have us to do next. Praying, asking, seeking His face and waiting is never easy to do. Once again though I am reminded by what Brother Dorsey said and it brings the greatest of comfort. “Precious Lord take my hand, lead me on help me stand, I am weak , I am worn, through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light, take my hand precious Lord and lead me on.”

     We have been blessed by so many of you as brothers and sisters. You have been praying, caring and watching out for us. It has truly been a humbling experience. We understand what the songwriter meant when he said, “Blest be the tie that binds, our hearts in Christian love.” Thank you can never be enough we are blessed to have you as our spiritual family.

     It’s one of those nights that I wish that I could just load on up in the car. Listen to some Christian music and sing as loud as I can. How I pray that, “You will speak to one another in Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual songs and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”  Ephesians 5:19

ALIVE AND KICKING

    Well here I am sitting on one of the couches in the middle of the week. I had to come back home as our boss with the temp job finally succumbed to one nasty cold. I wanted to tell all of you thanks for praying as I was able to get a temp job doing inventory work for one of the local companies here in Lincoln. The Lord was very kind in allowing me a job that so far I have been able to understand and be faithful at. I like the guys that I am working with as well. Pray that I might keep a good testimony.

     Julie has been able to spend time with her mom, dad, sisters and her brother Lyle. Haddy has taken full advantage of spending some weekend time with her aunts and has had a blast. (One of her highlights was getting a ride on her uncle’s Harley all the way from Omaha to Lincoln.)

     We have been going to Calvary Community Church since we have arrived here. This is the church that Julie grew up in. We have been so grateful for the kindness shown to us by the pastors. (Pastor Carl has been with the church as their founding pastor for around 38 years.) Julie has also been able to visit with old friends and loved ones who impacted her life for the Lord.

     As of right now we will be leaving for Grand Rapids on Friday the 11^th – 14^th in view of a call to the pastorate there. I have been at the church already one time and this time Julie will be going with me. So as usual I ask that you might pray for us that the church and we will be sensitive to the Lord’s leading. I so badly want to preach again but more importantly I want to do what He would have us to do.

     The weather here is starting to cool down and Hannah has told us that she has had a snowfall of about 6-8 inches. She is doing great and we are so proud of her as she is enjoying her classes. I think she said that she got about a 3.2 on her mid-terms. We are planning on seeing her for Thanksgiving.

     My quiet times have been great here of late as I have been going through II Kings and studying the life of Elisha. I am amazed at a man who is constantly called a man of God through all the passages. Many times his name is not even used but the term man of God is often used. One woman who knew him well says to her husband, “A holy man of God passes by our way continually.”

     I think the above is true because Elisha had a constant awareness of the presence of God. One of my favorite passages about Him dealing with this issue is found in II Kings 6. The king of Syria has had enough of Elisha being told by God about his plans against Israel. The king’s solution is to seize Elisha with an army. Think about it an army with horses and chariots to just bring in one man. There were so many of them that they surrounded the city of Dothan.

     I wish that I could say that I had Elisha’s awareness of the presence of God. I am afraid I would have acted like his servant who in seeing the situation with only his physical eyes asks, “What shall we do?” There is where I get into trouble. I want to know what I CAN DO about the situation. The Lord though wants us to get to the point of there is nothing that I CAN DO. It’s His battle and not mine. I need to shout out at times, “Open my eyes that I may see.”

     The situations, moments of desperation and fears will never be larger than the God who surrounds us.  When the servant’s eyes are open he sees God’s army has filled the mountain side with horses and chariots of fire surrounding their enemy.

     Elisha’s servant eyes are open while the King of Syria’s men are blinded. The one who just moments earlier was to be a captive is now the conqueror. Isn’t that just like God? He wants to show Himself strong to us. He takes joy in setting the captive free. I believe that it thrills Him when we humble our hearts and allow Him to display His glory.

     May we see the presence of the Lord. May we allow Him to show Himself strong in our lives. 

SHE IS SOOOO BEAUTIFUL.

OK. THEY ARE A LITTLE WARPED!!

WHAT A GIRL!